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Why are we so different?

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by N6GOF, Mar 18, 2002.

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  1. W0RAA

    W0RAA Ham Member QRZ Page

    I don't blame you for being upset. But, have you listened closely on the ham bands lately? The language is terrible. Four letter words are commonly used, some hams are just plain nasty. I was listening to a group of guys who were trying to work Ducie Island (VP6DI) on 20 meters SSB. Well, the DX operator had gone to dinner, yet there were guys calling him on his transmit frequency when he had clearly stated that he was operating split and listening "up". He also said he was taking a break for some chow. Well, one guy says (and I quote), "That low life S** of a B**** needs to improve his operating skills and make arrangements to see that someone is on the air at all times." The response to him from others sounded just like a CB frequency would sound. I've turned the air blue a few times myself, but never on the air. We need to clean up our act and keep in mind that we are not the only ones within earshot of this kind of language. Sure there are snobs out there but for the most part, the hams are there to have fun but will give you the shirts off their backs when help is needed. You can't find a more dedicated bunch of men and women anywhere when the chips are down. But even when frequencies are in use handling emergencies, these low lifes with the fould mouths and no concerns for anyone except themselves are there. They live to make life miserable for everyone elso because they are miserable. Just ignore them and they will go away. At least we all hope so. Thanks for letting me speak my 2 cents worth.

    73,

    Dick, WB0DUL, Colorado Springs, CO
     
  2. KD7PNH

    KD7PNH Ham Member QRZ Page

    I was once showing a friend (who has been a trucker off and on) my ham radio equpiment. I was working on a two meter ground plane antenna. He asked my if Ham radio was just a souped up version of CB radio. I kindly explained that no, it was quite different. I have nothing against CB radio, I just like Amatuer radio so much more! I like the challenge of passing an exam to get my "ticket". It is just my personal opinion.

    73,
    KD7PNH
     
  3. KE7MBL

    KE7MBL QRZ Member QRZ Page

    I have an idea where your friend came up with snobby
    cb'ers probably hearing some lids on the air. That I found
    on the air myself around here in Spokane. But I heard
    some hams put down the cb'ers too so it is not all one
    sided. [​IMG]
     
  4. KB4FOS

    KB4FOS Ham Member QRZ Page

    I sure don't feel segregated or classed (stereotyped) by my antenna farm here in my own neighborhood. I have had RFI problems here with Mr. Heart across the street but we both came to a solution, if not a total cure, using diplomacy and courtesy to both of our benifits, trying to understand the problem. (It was eventually realized by both of us that his TV, rabbit-ear, "amplifier" was the perpetrator.) I never had to tell him the awful, Part 15 truth.

    I was a CB'er once. KMR-7229 (issued in 1976). Back then, folks didn't much need a linear amplifier to "stomp" on another station and RFI was just as likely to be coming from the ham down the street (Pappy and his Collins amp) as from my Lafayette Comstat-23. Back then, the ham bands were also full of courteous and well-spoken ops, professionals in their own right. I guess the ham bands have changed just about as much as CB has in that time.

    If you want to keep your neighbor's fears at bay, open your door to them and show them your shack. Seeing is believing. Explain radio to them without denegrating their lack of knowledge about it. "Plain talk" doesn't mean "talking down" to them. Be empathetic, willing to listen to their complaint and don't appear hurried to explain away their misconceptions. If a person gains your confidence, they will quickly side with you and learn...


    JaxJoe
    SpectrumArc
     
  5. VE1FZ

    VE1FZ Ham Member QRZ Page

    Way back in the 1970"s I seen cb radio and it all fell into place starting there.How to build antenna"s intro. into the spectrum off HF,getting fingers into broken cb and fixing it etc etc.So I see no reason for someone to hide behind there ticket and say CB"er are low life,some out there could dance around a HF radio and fix them ,and oh my god there not even Amateur"s...
     
  6. n1vdo

    n1vdo QRZ Member

    [​IMG]  I never had a problem with a fellow Ham yet. Good honest respectable people, for the most part. Lot of older and wiser are the Ham's then the CB crowed.
    The only a people that don't Like Ham's are the CB'ers ....

    PS. My only complaint is I wish the Cellphone was not invented yet.

    Ron n1vdo
     
  7. WA3FHM

    WA3FHM Ham Member QRZ Page

    If you just want someone to understand that there is a difference between a ham and a CBer, just give them copies of QST and S9 (if it still exists).

    There are many facets to this problem and it has a long history.  I have been a ham since 1966 and I have seen the CB evolution.  Two friends decided to go CB when I became a novice.  One of them had been a radio operator in the service, but still went the easy way.  This was back when hobby operating on CB was strictly illegal, and probably still is, technically.

    I worked in a radio repair shop while the CB thing was booming and there was plenty of arrogance on the CB side.  There were two men who decided they were going to be hams, one way or another, so they started an organization called "Highway Assistance Modulators."  They even had business cards made up saying, "You have just met a ham."  On the card was a picture of a hind quarter with wheels and an antenna.  They went to ham fests and expected to be treated as equals.  This is like me expecting to be treated as an equal by truck drivers just because my little Suzuki has a manual transmission.

    There were CBers who bought 2 meter rigs and were outraged when they were kicked off repeaters.  There were others who took the philosophy of the airwaves belonging to the people and the FCC being the trustee to an absurd extreme and sued the FCC for all of the amateur spectrum, generally stating, "We don't need your trusteeship any more, give it all to us now." And there were the CBers who went on to become free banders.

    There was a bitterness when we didn't welcome them with open arms and they passed that bitterness on to whom ever would listen to them, which was any one who could walk into a Radio Shack with a non-maxed credit card and buy a CB set.

    There seems to be something cool about not knowing what you're talking about. There seems to be something cool about talking about balums and co-wax and adjusting your SWRs by changing the cable length.  If you're a bull S---ter you're a folk hero.  If you really know what you're talking about, you are a social outcast.  This has become true with just about every discipline.  This has caused a very serious problem, one that must be corrected immediately.

    The media has literally refused to give us any coverage.  There is the obligatory field day coverage, but that is as far as it goes.  When there is a natural disaster, the local TV stations send out a reporter and a photographer to the State EOC to get a story.  If the hams who form the backbone of the state communications are lucky enough to get their pictures taken, there is no mention at all of who they are, no mention of field day and how they are now putting their practice to work.  Everyone thinks they are state employees.

    This attitude achieved an infuriating flagrance recently.  I was watching a TV show about Mount St. Helens, I know there has been a number of them, but this one I had never seen before.  This show had the gall to actually interview the volunteer radio amateurs.  I didn't even know there were hams there, their existence had been so skillfully blacked out.  But, they weren't called hams or radio amateurs, merely volunteer radio operators.  They had put their lives on the line, but up until that film, they had not even been mentioned.

    We all know that when they were asked who they were by the people doing the research for the film, they didn't say, "Oh, we're nothing, we're just lil ole radio operators." Somewhere, between the hams and the final script, all mention of amateur radio was systematically removed.

    There you have it.  Is it ignorance, or misology or some other form a malice? Or are we just too uncool to even be tolerated?  What ever it is, we have to fight it.  Push for recognition.  If your area has skywarn classes, get your local TV weatherman to cover it.  If you volunteer at a state EOC, put up a sign.  If you volunteer for a parade or something make sure it is obvious that you're a ham.  You'll get your share of rolled eyes but at least people will know we exist.
     
  8. NA7CJ

    NA7CJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    I always use the analogy of comparing cars when I am confronted with explaining the difference between cb and ham radio. A Ferrari and Yugo are both cars, however, ham radio is like the Ferrari and cb is a Yugo. Usually I can get most people to understand the differences with this explanation. If I'm really frustrated I compare a candle (cb) to a 100,000,000,000 watt multi colored light bulb (ham radio). When all else fails Just assume they really do not care.
    Good Luck
    73
    de N3IEC
    Craig
     
  9. KD6HIT

    KD6HIT Ham Member QRZ Page

    I understand your anger but don't hold onto it! We are licensed radio operators that learned and then earned our privileges...My father told me a long time ago, "People use words as a weapon against things that they don't understand and are too afraid
    to ask about!"
    Radio is radio but somehow people aren't always people. What I mean is it seems to be in human nature to disagree with one another. Which is okay as long as we do it constructively and even share some knowledge. Sadly, once anger is invited into the situation, then nothing is accomplished. (Isn't that how wars are started?)
    Maybe we're a little different. We know who we are and how we got our Ham status.
    The next time someone throws some angry words at you, don't give them what they want! Be polite and reasonable. They will be befuddled. I know that it's hard to do, I spent most of my life as a hot-head. Kindness is powerful, though!
    In this respect, to them we really are different!
    Before I really get off the subject, I'll say 73's and good luck at being "different"...

    Greg Lehner
    KD6HIT
     
  10. WB9MCW/SK2024

    WB9MCW/SK2024 Ham Member QRZ Page

    SO FAR I HAVE ELMERED SIX CB'ERS INTO HAMS.   I FIND THE 27MHZ. BAND A GOOD PLACE TO FIND FUTURE HAM  OP'S!!!!!!!!!!!  IT IS A GREAT WAY TO INCREASE OUR RANKS.  SO HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND CULTIVATE A FEW YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!   AFTER ALL A RADIO IS A RADIO AND PEOPLE WHO LIKE TALKING ON CB RADIO'S OFTEN CAN WITH A LITTLE ENCOURAGEMENT  BECOME GREAT HAM'S!!!!!!!!!!!!!      WB9MCW [​IMG]  [​IMG]  [​IMG]
     
  11. KB3GKT

    KB3GKT Ham Member QRZ Page

    As a new Ham, I have found more nice people than in this hobby than I can count, and some that I could do without, but in general, that is the same as real life. I don't care if they call me a CB'r or a Ham as long as it gives me an opening to talk with them. I agree that we are not as visible as we could be, but who's fault is that. It's up to us to promote ourselves, and in the best light possible. In the area where I live, Ham's participate in many civic events that make the newspapers and TV, so why not try to get a reporter to spend some time with you at your event, they are always looking for good human interest stories. At the one event I am particulary involved with ( Pittsburgh Vintage Gran Prix ), Ham Radio operators have directly helped to raise over one million dollars ( $1,000,000.00 ) for the charities this event supports These Ham operators supply a control net for race operations, and spend many long hours supporting this and other events for nothing more than the fun of it, and the satsfication of helping others. These are the Hams that got me into this hobby, and to whom I will always be grateful. [​IMG] 73's Barry - kb3gkt
     
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